The present disclosure generally relates to a belt profile for mounting on a toothed belt and methods for using the profile. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a profile assembly wherein the profile is quickly removable from the toothed belt.
In many industrial applications, conveyor systems are used to carry products along desired pathways. In general, in belt conveying, a profile is attached to a toothed belt, such as a timing belt, for press feeding a conveyed object in the conveying direction. The profile is typically attached to the top “convey-side” surface of the belt, opposite the toothed-side. In many cases, the profile is fixedly attached to the top surface of the belt by welding or bonding with an adhesive, and in some cases the belt and profiles are integrally molded. In other instances, bolts and/or screws have been utilized to attach the profile to the belt.
Profiles can wear and/or break over time due to friction with the product over many cycles. Worn or broken profiles can impact conveyance of the product resulting in jams, loss of product, reduced efficiency, and the like. Due to the current methods for attaching the profiles to the belt, the profile cannot be readily detached and replaced. Rather, the entire belt must be removed from the conveyor system and the worn profile can then be replaced, or in some cases, the entire belt must be replaced. Removing the belt can require significant labor and results in system downtime and potentially unnecessary replacement part costs.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved profile design that is economical, easy to install and remove, and that prevents the entire toothed belt from having to be removed or replaced for a single worn or damaged profile.